Disciple Others: Give the Gift of Presence

Likewise, busyness kills many spiritual efforts. Discipleship. Time with God. Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever noticed that Jesus never seemed to rush? Anywhere. Anytime. With any person.

Yes, He had a purpose. Yes, He had a message. Yes, He was effective. But He was never in a hurry.

What’s the difference? Is is simply prioritizing what we do better? That could help. Is is simply saying no to the wrong things and yes to the right things? That is a start. But it is more than that.

What if the difference was one word? What if that word was simply “presence?” Your presence AND His presence. What if you gave each person, each encounter, each moment your full presence? And at the same time, you allowed the Holy Spirit to share His presence through you?

That time would be well-invested. No matter how long or short the time was, it would be meaningful and productive.

Today, I watched a dad and his daughter interact over lunch. Apparently she had been to the orthodonist from a comment by the waitress. But I watched as the dad spent more time with his phone than he did with his daughter. We are a society and even a church which is distracted. We seldom pay attention. We seldom are really present with anyone.

Want to change your growth as a disciple of Jesus Christ? Focus. Be present. Be present in prayer. Be present in Bible study, meditation, and application. Be present as His Holy Spirit leads you to encounter a world which is lost and for whom He died.

Give others the gift of presence. Care enough to listen and pay attention. Care enough to love them as you love yourself.

Watch how that changes your interactions. Watch how that influences them. Watch how that changes you!

He’s present. Be present. Make disciples!

For more ideas about growing as His disciples, check out these blog posts:

28Nineteen is all about discipleship. It is about carrying out our Lord's Great Commission as recorded in Matthew 28:19-20. Making disciples of all nations begins "as we are going through life" building relationships with people who are far from God, loving them to Jesus, helping them to grow in relationship and obedience, and invest in others.